The Jawshan Supplication (Jawshan al-Kabir): What It Is, Its Virtue and Recitation

What Is the Jawshan?

The Jawshan (in full, Jawshan al-Kabir) is a long supplication and intimate prayer containing a thousand and one of Allah's names and attributes, divided into 100 sections. The word "jawshan" means "armour" — it is recited with the intention of spiritual protection.

Each section calls upon Allah by ten separate names and closes with this plea:

Subhanaka ya la ilaha illa ant, al-aman al-aman, ajirna / najjina mina'n-nar. — "Glory be to You; there is no deity but You. Safety, safety! Grant us refuge from / deliver us from the Fire."

The Correct Religious Framing (Important)

💡 A balanced understanding of the Jawshan is essential:

• The Jawshan does not appear in the authentic Sunni hadith collections; it has mainly been transmitted through Shia sources, and its chain of narration is considered weak and disputed.
• For this reason, it is not treated as an established sunnah, and no guaranteed outcome should be attributed to it.
• However, since its content is entirely the remembrance of Allah through His beautiful names and the affirmation of His oneness, reciting it with the intention of dua and intimate supplication has not been considered objectionable.

In short: the right approach is to recite the Jawshan not as a "guaranteed healing formula," but as a beautiful way of remembering Allah through His names.

The Content of the Jawshan

The Jawshan is woven from beginning to end with Al-Asma al-Husna (the beautiful names of Allah). In this sense, it can be thought of as an extended form of the 99 Names of Allah dhikr. An example of a section's structure:

Ya Rahman, ya Rahim, ya Karim, ya Muqim, ya 'Azim, ya Qadim, ya 'Alim, ya Halim, ya Hakim... Subhanaka ya la ilaha illa ant, al-aman al-aman, ajirna mina'n-nar.

This is in keeping with the command of the Quran:

"And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them." (Al-A'raf 180)

How and When Is It Recited?

• It is recited in a state of wudu, with calm and presence of heart.
• Since the full text is long, a portion or the whole may be recited.
• It is commonly recited especially at night, during the pre-dawn hours, and in moments of hardship.
• Following along with an audio recitation is helpful for correct pronunciation.

For other authentically-sourced duas recited with the intention of protection, see our Duas for Protection from the Evil Eye page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is reciting the Jawshan sinful, or an innovation (bid'ah)?

Since its content consists of the remembrance of Allah and the affirmation of His oneness, there is no issue with reciting it. What would be problematic is treating it as an authentic hadith, or attaching guaranteed beliefs such as "whoever recites it this many times will certainly receive this." Reciting it with the intention of dua and dhikr is good.

What can I recite instead of the Jawshan?

You can gain the same spiritual benefit through practices with an authentic basis: the 99 Names of Allah dhikr, Ayatul Kursi, Al-Ikhlas-Al-Falaq-An-Nas, and the protective duas firmly established in the Prophet's sunnah.

Do I need to memorise the Jawshan?

No, it is not necessary. It can be recited while reading from the text or following along with an audio recitation. Since it is long, memorising the whole is difficult — what matters is reciting it while reflecting on its meaning.

Dhikr and Intimate Supplication in the Nurlu App

To remember Allah through His names:

• the 99 Names of Allah and other dhikr duas, with Arabic text, transliteration and audio recitation
• a dhikr counter to track your remembrance
• a daily dhikr reminder so you don't miss your pre-dawn intimate supplication

Download Nurlu for free → Get it on the App Store

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🔗 See also: The 99 Names of Allah · Duas for Protection from the Evil Eye · All Duas